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Patented May 30, I899. W. M. GILBERT.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. GILBERT, OF IVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE H.CLOWES, OF SAME PLACE.

ACETYLENE- GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION fonning part of Letters Patent No. 625,949, dated May 30,1899.

Application filed March 14, 1898. Serial No. 673,754. (No model.)

My invention relates to lamps for generat ing and burning acetylene gas,and has for its object to provide a lamp of this character havingimproved means for governing the supply of water to the calcium carbidand for securing the even and regular conversion of the cake of carbidinto gas until said cake isentirely converted into lime.

To these ends my invention consists in the lamp constructed andoperating as hereinafl ter fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like partsin the several views, Figure 1 is a vertical section of thegenerating-chamber of a lamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the valve which. governs the water s'upply. Fig.3 is a longitudinal section of the watersupply tube.

The generating-chamber of the lamp herein shown is composed of acup-shaped body 1, provided at its open upper end with aninternally-threaded ring 2, the thread of which engages anexternally-threaded depending flange 3 of the top portion 1 of the lamp-body to detachably connect. said body to said top portion, the latterbeing preferably provided with an outer depending flange 5,Whichoverlies the upper edge of the body 1, as shown in Fig. 1, and is beadedor otherwise 0rna-' lnented to add to the ornamental appearance of thelamp. A packing-ring, of rubber or other suitable material, interposedbetween the top of body 1 and the top portion 4, as

shown at 6, effectually prevents the escape of gas from the chamber. Thebottom 7 of the chamber 1 has its highest point at its cenbody 13 tosupply water to the chamber.

. ter-reservoir 9, which, as herein shown, is of annular form, but whichmay be of any desired form, said reservoir being provided with anoutlet-pipe 10-,which connects with the supply-pipe 12 of the chamberthrough a valve- Said valve-loody is provided with the inlet-port 14,which communicates with the pipe 10 and terminates at its inner end in aconical seat 15, and with an outlet-port 16, which communicates with thepipe 12. A valve-stem 17, having a threaded portion 18, which engages aninternally-threaded portion of the body 13,

passes through a screw-cap 19 at the end of said body and carries at itsouter end a thumbnut 20, which is delachably secured thereto byabinding-screw 21. A suitable packing 22,- interposed between the cap 19and the threaded portion of said stem, prevents any escape of gasthrough the valve-body. At its inner end said valve-stem carries theconical valve 23, which enters the conical seat 15 to tightly close theinlet-port 14 when advanced by turning the valve-stem. The angle ofinclination of the seat 15 is, however, made slightly greater than thatof the end of valve 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and as a consequencebut a very slight endwise movement of the valve is required to fullyopen and to close said port 14, while the degree of closure can beregulated with the most minute exactness. Such construction enables meto *fullyopen and close the valve with but a partial revolution of thevalve-stem, and to render any calculation on the part of the operatorunnecessary I provide the thumb-nut 20 with a projecting finger 24:,which when the valve is shut is at the upper side of the hub of the nutand which when the valve is opened to the desired degree strikes againstthe edge of the topportion 4 and prevents any further movement of thestem in that direction. The thumb-nut being adj ustably secured to thestem by the screw 21, provision is made for thus restricting the openingmovement of the I00 stem to any desired opening of the inlet-port 14 or,in other words, to any desired amount of water-supply. The finger 24also serves as an indicator to indicate at all times the position of thevalve.

The supplypipe 12 projects downwardly within the chamber 1 nearly to andin substantial vertical alinement with the center of the bottom 7, andwithin its lower end is inserted a conductor which is preferablycomposed of strands of horsehair, as shown at 25, and which looselyfills said lower end of said pipe and projects ashortdistance beyondsaid end. As a convenient manner of securing said conductor in place Iprovide the lower end of said pipe with a short longitudinal slit 26 andsecure said horsehair strands to a wire 27, which is bent to bearagainst the outer side of the pipe and, passing through the slit 26,passes upwardly within the pipe a short distance to the point where itpasses transversely across the same, at which latter point it supportsthe strands, as shown in Fig. 3. Such manner of attachment enables theconductor to be readily withdrawn from the pipe for cleaning andreturning thereto; but I have found thata conductor thus formed fromstrands of horsehair requires but little,if any, cleaning, as theparticles of carbid or lime do not adhere thereto nor accumulatethereon, as in the case of wicking such as is usually employed.

In the use of the lamp thus constructed the cake of carbid or somecompound thereof having a central opening extending through it, as shownby broken lines in Fig. 1, is placed in the chamber 1, with the apex ofbottom 7 projecting into its opening, and the body 1 is secured to thetop portion 4, with the supply-pipe 12 projecting downwardly into saidopening. The valve 23 is then moved to its open position and the waterbegins to flow through pipe 10 and the supply-pipe 12 to the bottom ofchamber 1, where it is distributed by the sloping bottom 7 evenlybeneath the carbid cake, and the gas thus generated passes through theoutlet-pipe 28 to the burner 29. (Shown by broken lines in Fig. 1.) Thedisintegration of the carbid goes on evenly and at a regular rate untilthe gas-producing properties thereof are entirely exhausted, there beingno possibility of clogging of the water-supply devices. The shape ofbottom 7 of the chamber and the cement filling 8 prevent anyaccumulation of water in the chamber.

The quick-opening properties of the valve governing the water-supply andthe action of the indicator-finger 24 render the operation of the lampeasy and avoid any possibilityof mistake on the part of the operator.

It is obvious that modifications in the details of the constructionherein shown and described can be made within the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the top portion 4 of an acetylene-lamp, of thechamber 1 detachably secured thereto and having the con ical bottom 7whereby the height of said chamber increases from its center to itsouter edge, the angle of inclination of said conical bottom beinggreater near its apex, at water-reservoir connected with said topportion' by a single pipe connection leading from said reservoir nearlyto the apex of said conical bottom, and a valve located in said pipeconnection adjacent to said water-reservoir for governing the passage ofwater therethrough, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with a water-reservoir having asupply-pipe projecting downward therefrom and a valve in saidsupply-pipe for regulating the watersupply passing therethrough, thesaid valve being operated from without the said reservoir; of agenerating-chamber detachably sccured below said waterreservoir, thesaid chamber having a conical bottom whereby the height of said chamberincreases gradually from the center outward, the apex of said conicalbottom being beneath the said supplypipe, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the water-reservoir and generating-chamber of anacetylenelamp, of a supply-pipe, as 12, communicating with saidreservoir and projecting within said chamber, said pipe being providedatits lower end with the slit 26, and a conductor located in said pipe,said conductor being composed of the wire 27 passed through said slit 26and bent as described and the strands 25 of horsehair secured to saidwire, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM M. GILBERT.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE E. HALL, EDWARD R. LEZOTT.

